The Most Extraordinary Design, Art, and Jewelry to Discover at PAD London

The esteemed fair is celebrating its 15th edition next week with 62 leading international galleries

October 2, 2023

On October 10, the internationally celebrated PAD design fair will celebrate its 15th anniversary, once again taking over picturesque Berkeley Square in London’s Mayfair neighborhood. Founded in 2007 by fourth-generation Parisian antiques dealer Patrick Perrin, PAD London is the only fair in the UK dedicated exclusively to 20th-century and contemporary works and over the years it has developed into one of the most hotly anticipated design events in the world.

Running from October 10-15, the 15th anniversary edition will introduce an extraordinary showcase of works presented by 62 leading galleries across the categories of contemporary design, 20th-century design, and collectible jewelry.

Plain Cuts stone and steel bench by Wonmin Park. Photo: Carpenters Workshop

“What really sets us apart is fundamentally the taste and signature that Stéphane Custot, my former partner, and myself have applied to the fairs from day one,” Patrick Perrin, the founder of PAD, tells Galerie ahead of the opening. “We’ve always been attracted by eclecticism. We’ve always looked at all eras, all genres, all styles, all designers. And this is why it’s such a great design fair.”

This year, there are 13 exhibitors participating for the first time. In Contemporary Design, newcomers include Galerie Philia, Objects With Narratives, Æquõ, Secret Gallery, Ormond Editions, and Melchiorri Studio Gallery. In the genre of Glass and Ceramics, there are three newcomers including Gallery LVS & Craft, Florian Daguet-Bresson, and Raphaella Riboux-Seydoux. In 20th-Century Design, galleries JCRD Design, GDJ Design / New Hope Gallery, and Unforget are making their first showing. The Parisian jeweler Elie Top is also making his debut, presenting his most trailblazing and artful bijoux.

“A big highlight for me is these new exhibitors joining the fair for the first time, and especially the younger gallerists for whom PAD is an important step but also a learning curve,” says Perrin.

“We’ve always been attracted by eclecticism. We’ve always looked at all eras, all genres, all styles, all designers. And this why it’s such a great design fair”
Patrick Perrin

Yellow sapphire Ecu ring by Elie Top. Photo: Courtesy of Elie Top

Emerald Bouclier ring by Elie Top. Photo: Courtesy of Elie Top

Collaborating with a masterful group of designers and architects in Italy, newcomer Melchiorri Studio Gallery will introduce a new furniture collection by Livio Cioffi and Alessandra Melchiorri. Objects with Narratives will present gravity-defying wooden furniture by Mircea Anghel and striking bronze lighting pieces by Vladimir Slavov, while Ormond Editions will present a selection of lighting pieces by Garnier & Linker, architect Glenn Sestig, ceramic artist Yoona Hur, and designer Pieter Maes. Galerie Philia will host a curated show of new onyx works by eight international talents. At Secret Gallery, the Parisian art and design gallery founded by Nathalie Elmaleh and Laurent Teboul, highlight are sure to be Lala, a cabinet meticulously crafted with cloisonné enamel tile by Reda Amalou, and paintings composed of stoneware sculptures by Yann Masseyeff.

Design of course is the predominant genre at PAD, but there is a smorgasbord of treasures to be found, and viewers are always delighted to discover a fascinating mix of everything from tribal and Chinese art to modern painting, ceramics, and jewelry. “I never know exactly in advance what the fair is going to look like, how it will unfold, or appear to the public,” says Perrin. “I only get a sense of this in the 48 hours before the opening when the stands have all been set up. You can then see what each exhibitor is bringing, their latest discoveries, usually acquired a few months before and then freshly restored or refurbished. That’s when the glowing panorama fully comes to life.”

Drop-leaf desk with its seat and visitor's stool by Jacques Adnet on display at Unforget. Photo: Courtesy of Unforget

Perrin, an avid collector himself, is passionate about this blend of genres and believes it is what makes PAD so successful. “I think that collecting one type of work, from one period, by one artist, is not collecting. That is like a mental fixation,” Perrin says, calling out famous connoisseurs like the Rothschilds, “who collected absolutely everything” or David David-Weills, Henry Kravis, Karl Lagerfeld and Pierre Bergé, and Yves Saint Laurent as inspiration. “If you love art, if you really love it, it’s not one collection that you love; it’s the many collections. You should look at and be interested in everything, look with your eyes and not with your ears, as people too often do these days.”

See a selection of highlights and new pieces below.